So Yeon Ryu, Anna Nordqvist and Pornanong Phatlum Lead After Second Round Of 2013 Lorena Ochoa Invitational

So Yeon Ryu (click to enlarge)

This is why I don’t like to predict a winner after the first round. Sure, Pornanong Phatlum is still perched atop the leaderboard after two rounds at 9-under and could still very well lead from wire to wire, taking home the trophy. However, at the midway point of the 2013 Lorena Ochoa Invitational, Waen has been joined at the summit by two LPGA Major winners, So Yeon Ryu (2011 US Women’s Open) and Anna Nordqvist (2009 LPGA Championship). There is also a trio of players one shot back that includes Player of the Year leader Inbee Park, along with Lexi Thompson and Gerina Piller. It looks to be anybody’s race the last two days unless somebody separates themselves from the pack on moving day. So Yeon and Anna were both very impressive with matching 6 birdie, 1 bogey 5-under 67s. But the round of the day went to Lexi. The 2-time LPGA winner showed why most believe there are handfuls of trophies to come in her future, blistering the Guadalajara Country Club course with clean an 8 birdie, no bogeys 8-under 64. Considering her sizzling play and that she won last month at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, everybody in contention better take a peek at the leaderboard to see if Lexi tries to pull away on Saturday. Should that happen, somebody might have to try to take some risks in order to reel Thompson in…if they can.

BIRDIES

Gerina Miller had the second best round of the day at 7-under 65. She’s tied for 4th. It was great to see her make her Solheim Cup debut this year. It would be terrific to see her grab her maiden LPGA victory as well.

Two shots separate Inbee Park (-8) and Suzann Pettersen (-6). Although I personally take issue with a point system where a person who has won 3 Majors and 6 overall victories could possibly lose the Player of the Year race to a player with less overall victories and Majors I have no choice but to sit back and enjoy the theater of such a close competition. It just shouldn’t be close. If Inbee loses, and I am not picking favorites…I like Inbee and Suzann…while having more Majors and victories than the winner, I think it hurts the credibility of this tour I love. Many people who don’t follow the LPGA closely will look at such a result with the kind of puzzlement and incredulity usually reserved for boxing decisions where the three judges see a completely different fight than everybody else. Wow, after all that complaining it might seem I have made a mistake filing this under “BIRDIES”…well, I just mean it’s positive in the sense that I don’t like that it’s a close race…it shouldn’t be…but since the system can’t be fixed during the season, I will make lemonade out of lemons and enjoy the drama. Oh, and by the way, I am a lifelong tennis fan so I get the argument about consistent finishes versus big wins. However, in 2010 Caroline Wozniacki played a lot of tournaments and won the most events. She was ranked #1 at the end of the year. But Kim Clijsters played almost 1/3 fewer events, but won the US Open and WTA Tour Championships. The players voted Clijsters WTA Player of the Year. I completely agreed with that vote. The Inbee-Suzann situation is even more tilted, in my mind, to Inbee with 6 victories and 3 Majors. Still, since the point system allows no discretion or common sense, it remains what it is.

Back to positivity, we best not forget world #3 Stacy Lewis. She is only 3 shots back and in fine position to make a weekend charge. With all eyes on Inbee and Suzann, it could be that Stacy reminds us all that not too long ago she was the dominant #1 player in the world.

ALL PICS CLICK TO ENLARGE

SO YEON RYU

SUZANN PETTERSEN

INBEE PARK

MICHELLE WIE

LEXI THOMPSON

JESSICA KORDA

SANDRA GAL

ANNA NORDQVIST

STACY LEWIS

BRITTANY LANG

AI MIYAZATO

AMY YANG

PORNANONG PHATLUM

GERINA PILLER

IN KYUNG KIM

MORGAN PRESSEL

LIZETTE SALAS

PAULA CREAMER

JODI EWART SHADOFF

Pos	Start	Player	ToPar	Thru	Today	R2	R3
	T1	T1	NORDQVIST, Anna	-9	12:21 PM	68	67	135
	T1	T1	RYU, So Yeon	-9	12:21 PM	68	67	135
	T1	T1	PHATLUM, Pornanong	-9	12:21 PM	66	69	135
	T4	T4	THOMPSON, Lexi	-8	12:10 PM	72	64	136
	T4	T4	PILLER, Gerina	-8	12:10 PM	71	65	136
	T4	T4	PARK, Inbee	-8	12:10 PM	68	68	136
	T7	T7	KIM, I.K.	-7	11:59 AM	70	67	137
	T7	T7	SALAS, Lizette	-7	11:59 AM	70	67	137
	T9	T9	LEWIS, Stacy	-6	11:59 AM	72	66	138
	T9	T9	ICHER, Karine	-6	11:48 AM	70	68	138
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	T9	T9	PETTERSEN, Suzann	-6	11:48 AM	70	68	138
	T9	T9	SHIN, Jenny	-6	11:48 AM	69	69	138
	13	13	PRESSEL, Morgan	-5	11:37 AM	73	66	139
	T14	T14	LEE, Ilhee	-4	11:37 AM	74	66	140
	T14	T14	KORDA, Jessica	-4	11:37 AM	72	68	140
	T14	T14	MUNOZ, Azahara	-4	11:26 AM	71	69	140
	T14	T14	YANG, Amy	-4	11:26 AM	67	73	140
	T18	T18	CREAMER, Paula	-3	11:26 AM	74	67	141
	T18	T18	CIGANDA, Carlota	-3	11:15 AM	72	69	141
	T20	T20	EWART SHADOFF, Jodi	-2	11:15 AM	75	67	142
	T20	T20	CHOI, Chella	-2	11:15 AM	74	68	142
	T20	T20	MARTIN, Mo	-2	11:04 AM	73	69	142
	T20	T20	MIYAZATO, Ai	-2	11:04 AM	70	72	142
	T20	T20	WIE, Michelle	-2	11:04 AM	69	73	142
	T25	T25	LINCICOME, Brittany	-1	10:53 AM	76	67	143
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	T25	T25	LANG, Brittany	-1	10:53 AM	71	72	143
	27	27	KERR, Cristie	E	10:53 AM	77	67	144
	28	28	MATTHEW, Catriona	+1	10:42 AM	74	71	145
	T29	T29	LEE, Meena	+2	10:42 AM	74	72	146
	T29	T29	HEDWALL, Caroline	+2	10:42 AM	73	73	146
	T29	T29	GAL, Sandra	+2	10:31 AM	72	74	146
	T32	T32	RAMOS, Margarita	+3	10:31 AM	75	72	147
	T32	T32	STANFORD, Angela	+3	10:31 AM	75	72	147
	34	34	LLANEZA, Alejandra	+4	10:20 AM	75	73	148
	35	35	RECARI, Beatriz	+5	10:20 AM	72	77	149
	36	36	COLLINS, Taylor	+7	10:20 AM	74	77	151